Tara arrived at Royal Women's Hospital on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, her surgery was scheduled for later in the day. Preparation began for the surgery by attaching all the lines to her limbs and starting her on antibiotics.


At 4:30pm, Tara was transferred into a mobile humidicrib, and began the journey to the Royal Children's Hospital next door. Dad accompanied her and at 5pm she was taken into theatre for her surgery. Mum arrived shortly afterward from Toowoomba in the ambulance.

Tara's surgery lasted 3 hours, finishing at 8pm. By 9pm, she was back in the intensive care nursery in the Women's Hospital. The surgeons had successfully joined the oesophagus and removed the fistula, all without complication.


The operation was firstly attempted through a keyhole, but the surgeons were unable to gain proper access to the oesophagus, so had to open the side of the chest, under the right arm. Tara has a nasal gastric tube which passes through the joined section of the oesophagus, and it is vitally important that this tube stays in and is undisturbed.